IMPACT trade union’s VEC Branch, which represents over 1,400 management and administrative VEC staff, has said that the VEC was the best placed authority to successfully run and manage the  third level grants scheme in Ireland. The comment was made at the union branch’s annual general meeting which takes place today (Saturday).

Mr Gerard Lyons, chair of the VEC branch of IMPACT, commented “Based on its good track record in dealing with institutes of technology and certain universities the VEC sector, in whatever guise, is best equipped to take over as the lead authority in the administration of third level grant schemes. We need joined-up thinking and cooperation with both the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social Protection to bring this about. I also believe that there is still a role for local offices as advice and information centres linked to a new centralised authority”.

IMPACT trade union, which represents just over 1,400 VEC staff, has demanded full consultation over the staff and service implications of VEC closures. The union’s VEC branch met in Dublin today (Wednesday) and said it would be seeking full details of the plan to close 17 VECs, which was announced by the Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan, yesterday.

IMPACT has sought immediate clarification that the closures will be implemented in accordance with the Croke Park Agreement, which is based on the principle that, as far as possible, services should be protected as budgets decline. Croke Park also contains safeguards over compulsory redundancies and staff redeployment.

The union said that the nature of yesterday’s announcement is regrettable, and said that Minister should have consulted with staff representatives in advance.

National Secretary Matt Staunton explained, “The reorganisation of VEC services has got off to a bad start with the Minister ignoring the provisions of the Croke Park agreement as they relate to staff consultation. This is not about blocking change, but staff representatives are entitled to expect discussions with the Minister and her senior officials prior to the announcement of decisions that will impact on services and staff. While the announcement of some closures was expected, no consultation or discussion took place ahead of this decision.”

Mr Staunton added “The extent of the reduction is surprising, given that the McCarthy Report called for a reduction in the number of VECs to 22. The reduction to 16 appears excessive in this context, and flies in the face of expert opinion that there is a growing need to deliver further education and training services in a time of burgeoning unemployment. The scale of closure could cause more long term harm to our economic recovery, and compromise the availability of a local and efficient education service.”

The original target saving in the McCarthy report was €3 million, although the VEC branch of IMPACT now estimates that the scale of the cut now is closer to €4.5 million.

Mr Staunton said “The collateral damage will be far in excess of that amount when you consider the effect on communities, service users and staff. There will be an inevitable loss of revenue to local banks, and a broad range of small and medium local enterprises, such as catering, printing and construction.   Towns, villages and communities will feel the effects, and job losses in these sectors are inevitable.”

Mr Staunton said that approximately 300 temporary workers in this sector have lost their jobs since the announcement of the moratorium on public service recruitment. “VECs are very lean and effective organisations. They have a very impressive accountability record” he said.